Saturday, April 24, 2010

The Tea Party Movement has been gaining a lot of attention in the mainstream media lately and has garnered some well known conservative endorsements. The premise of the Tea Party is to promote limited government, fiscal responsibility, and free market. While this philosophy is shared by millions of Americans, the movement has been under scrutiny by many for some of the more fringe elements present at these rallies who are promoting racism, ethnocentrism, sexism, and homophobia.

The Tea Party Movement seems to be split by those who are far-right conservatives with very oppressive ideas, and those who are libertarian and want less government but are more inclined to support civil liberties. This movement could potentially have a strong effect on the efforts of the LGBT community to attain equal status. On the one hand a far-right candidate could be devastating and set us back, but a libertarian candidate may change the landscape of some in the conservative movement on queer issues. The other potential outcome is that "Tea Party" or Libertarian candidates will take votes away from the Republican candidate making it easier for Democrats to be elected.

What do you make of the Tea Party Movement and how do you feel it will effect the broader LGBT community in the struggle for equality?

7 comments:

I honestly believe that if the Tea Party & Conservative Republican base show out in force for the mid-term elections, and more right-wing politicians are elected to office, the strides we've made as community could easily be set back 10 years or more. We have to rally our the LGBT Community and the moderates and progressives Democrats to get out and vote in greater numbers than the right.

I was a Gay Librtarian BEFORE Bob Barr changed from Republican to Libertarian for the 2004 election cycle. He brought with him Anti-gay, Anti-choice, Anti-Libertarian values with him.

The Libertarian party of the past 80 years has NOTHING to do with today's party. Libertarians were in favor of strong individual rights, sure. But it was ALWAYS regardless what color/gender/gender orientation/ or sexual orientation one was. Now it's a whiny WHITES-ONLY party of disgruntled Christian Racists.

To pretend that the TEA PARTY is actually a 'movement' is completely wrong.

April 15th brought out tax tea-protests across the country. Sure. But what media didn't report is that the average crowd was 500 people. Some movement!

Instead of trying to give credibiliy to yourself as a blogger by passing on MSM lies manufactured from Fox News, why not try and do some research.

David, agreed. These people mean business and they are 90% scary stupid. I do not mean that as an attack but rather a statement of fact. To hear what they say when asked specific questions like "which programs do you want cut?" or "Obama was the one who ordered the tax stimulus to people at the beginning of his Presidency that issued immediate checks to every American for $200 - $400 per person. I got $350.

Half of these Tea Party members say it wasn't a tax cut so therefore irrevelant to the conversation and the other half deny it ever happened.

And when reminded that Obama cut taxes for 95% of Americans and that is still in force? All of them deny it and claim anyone who believes such has been brainwashed.

It would be funny if it wasn't so frightening. I remind you that these are the same people bringing guns and making broad threats such as, "Every now and then the Tree of Liberty needs watering with the blood of tyrants."

They are quite literally stupid. It is akin to arguing about whether or not the moon is made of cheese. It is impossible to engage, negotiate or have any kind of rational and reasonable conversation with someone who is insisting that reality is, well, not reality. I have somehow been brainwashed into thinking I got a couple of checks from the government at the worst of our recession. I am lying when I say I am paying less taxes under Obama than I was under Bush.

"Instead of trying to give credibiliy to yourself as a blogger by passing on MSM lies manufactured from Fox News, why not try and do some research."

Even if the numbers at the rallies are inflated, it has been the subject of discussion in many political circles and so I am opening up discussion here about how the tea party may or may not affect the queer population.

It is refreshing to hear that there is someone enlightened and open-minded enough to know that Libertarians support gay rights and individual liberty and are not just ultra-Republicans – quite the opposite. FYI...The Tea Parties were started in 2007 to celebrate Ron Paul's huge fundraising victory. Unfortunately in the past year or so, the movement has been hijacked by the traditional Republican party (Palin) in order to try to steer its agenda back into line with the Republican Establishment.

What the LGBT community SHOULD be doing is stop blindly, automatically supporting the party that continually throws us under the bus everytime there is some controversy (DOMA, DADT, etc).

Why keep giving Democrats the idea that we are in their back pocket, that we support them no matter what? Its time we started supporting Libertarian Republican candidates and candidates from ANY party that support individual freedoms - why not work to get BOTH parties to alienate those hard-core conservatives who want to end all personal freedoms. Being gay should be first and foremost the idea that we have the right to be who we are. We should support anyone who agrees and supports this belief. If we start rowing the boat on both sides, we will start moving forward again.... instead of spinning around in circles. I feel it is time to reach a thankful hand out to those courageous Republicans who stand against their party in support of LGBT issues.